Rocker for infant-carrying devices



G. H. STROM ETAL ROCHER FOR INFANT-CARRYING DEVICES 3 Sheets-SheetI l Filed Aug. l, 1950 l TTOP/VEY ug- 18, 1953 G. H. sTRoM ETAL ROCKER FOR INFANT-CARRYING DEVICES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. l, 1950 Aug- 18, 1953 G. H. s'rRoM Erm. 2,649,167 ,r

RocxER FOR INFANT-CARRYING DEVICES Filed Aug. 1, 195o r 3 Sheets--Sheet 5 1N VEN TOR. Raw {reeu BY Clans: fa/rex rw Kals/wwf Patented Aug. 18, 1953 weer.

ROCKER FOR INFANT-CARRYING DEVICES Gordon H. Strom, Charles Lichter, and Paul Rusincky, New York, N. Y., assignors to Automatic Rock-A-Bye, Inc., New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application August 1, 1950, Serial No. 176,955

Claims. l

This invention relates to a rocker for infantcarrying devices such as perambulators and cradles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device of the character described which will rock a baby carriage or cradle without an attendant.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described which is easily attachable to or detachable from a perambulator or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described which is simply and inexpensively manufactured.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described which is safe and fool-proof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described which will be of substantial value to the parents of infants in that it eliminates the need to constantly rock infants.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device of the character described the power unit of which is self-contained.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of the character described which is dependable, and eilicient in operation.

Other objects of my invention will in part be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplied in the device hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of an end of a perambulator with a device embodying the present invention attached;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 is a bottom view of said device;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 5 5, 6 6 and 1 1 respectively of Fig. 4;

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged sectional views taken substantially along the lines 8 3 and 9 9, respectively, of Fig. '7; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional View taken substantially along the line IIJ-l0 of Fig. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1,2, 3, and 10, the reference numeral 2D denotes a device embodying the present invention. Said device includes a casing 22 substantially in the shape of a box with an open front 24. Said open front is of rectangular configuration, being of the same shape as the top wall 26. For purposes of appearance, the bottom edges of the side walls 28 are curved concavely with respect to the open front 24, as is shown in Fig. 1. The back Wall 3!) of the casing likewise is rectangular but is bent to t the contour of the edges of the side walls. The shape of the container as viewed from the side is roughly trapezoidal. The casing may be fabricated of any suitable material, for example sheet steel, land the various parts thereof are held together in any conventional manner by riveting or welding.

A sector 32 is hinged to the top edge of the open front of the casing. This sector comprises a bottom wall 34 curved to t the casingy triangular side walls 36 which taper upwardly, and a fiat back wall 38. Slots 40 are formed in the bottom wall to slidably accommodate clamp bolts 42 in the lower end of the back wall of the casing.

Said bolts 42 freely extend through openings in the casing through the slots 40 and are screwed into tapped bores in a metal strip 44. The bottom wall 34 of the sector is slidable between the strip 44 and the casing so that by tightening the bolts 42, the sector may be clamped in any position of extension from the casing. The sector is fabricated of any suitable material, e. g. sheet metal. A foam rubber pad 46 may be placed on the exterior surface of the back wall of the sector to prevent marring of a cradle or carriage when the device is attached to the same. Means is provided to enable the casing to be rapidly attached to and detached from a carriage or the like. Said means comprises a handle 48 including a strip of metal curved to J -shaped cross-section. The inside of the handle is lined with foam rubber 45&1'. Arms 52 integral with the ends of the handle are adjustably attached to the casing as follows: the end of each arm is formed into an annular disk 54. A stud 56 of considerably less diameter than the opening in the disk extends through said opening and screws into the casing. The stud has a large knurled head 58 located on the outside of the casing. Washers 60, 62 are disposed on each end of the disk 54 and are of smaller diameter than said knurled head 58. Between the outer washer 6U and the head of the stud, a plate 64 with a circular skirt 66 is interposed. The sheet conceals the washers and disk and is slotted to pass the arms E2. 'The plate is of larger diameter than the washers and lesser diameter than the head of the stud. When the knurled head is turned, the stud screws into the casing and the washers clamp the disk 54 between them. The skirt Gt is of such height that it does not touch the casing when the knurled head is fully tightened. The diameters of the openings in the washers are such as to accommodate the stud with very little play. The outer diameters of said washers exceed the size of the opening in the disk.

The rock-er 20 is hung on a carriage end E3 as shown in Fig. l. The position of the rocker is adjusted by means of the structure described in connection with the attachment of the handle to the casing, this structure being specially designed for such adjustment. The sector is extended until it abuts the carriage so that the rocker is in frictional engagement therewith. The sector is held in place in the casing by tightening the clamping boit s2. The shape of the carriage will govern the adjustment of the handle and its distance from the casing.

Referring now in detail to Figs. 4 and 5, S indicates a spring of a conventional spring motor employed to furnish the motive power necessary to the operation of the present invention. A motor frame l is attached to the sides of the casing. The outer end of the spring is anchored to the frame. A gear l2 is actuated by said motor. A second gear 74 is caused to turn by motion of said first gear 'i2 which engages a pinion gear I6 on the same shaft as the second gear. The second gear meshes with a pinion 'i8 which is on the same horizontal shaft i9 as another gear 80. Mounted to turn on the same shaft as and to turn with the gear 30 is a heavy weight 82 the center of gravity of which is eccentrically disposed relative to said shaft. Desirably, and as shown, the weight is concentrated in the rim 84 so as to obtain a maximum unbalance. By means of the above-described reduction gear train, the Weight is caused to revolve, and it is the rotation of this off-center weight which produces two periodically varying thrusts, one horizontal and one vertical. These thrusts are imparted to anything to which the device is attached.

To enable rotation of the weight about its horizontal axis to be started easily without employing a heavy duty spring motor, means is provided to counter-balance the torque created by said off-center weight. Saidmeans comprises an eccentric 88 aiixed on the same shaft as the weight. An eccentric strap 38 engages the eccentric and ball bearings are provided between the same. The eccentric strap is integral with an eccentric rod 90 rotatably attached to a bell crank lever 92. The latter is pivoted on the frame at Y. A short arm 94 of the bell crank lever is disposed at an obtuse angle to a long arm 96 which is attached to the eccentric strap. One end of a tension spring 98 is attached to the short arm Sd. The other end of said spring is anchored at an adjustable link |00 carried by the frame. The spring 98 exerts enough force in the linkage system shown to balance the torque caused by the pull of gravity on the weight. More specifically, by urging said short arm toward the pointwhere the spring is anchored, the long arm is biased upwardly. It in turn exerts an upward force on the eccentric rod which pulls up on the 4 eccentric thus exerting a torque which counterbalances the static torque developed by the offcenter weight.

Means is provided to adjustably regulate the period of the varying thrusts. Means also is provided to stop and ystart the rocker. These means, best shown in Figs. 6-9, include a gear |02 meshing with the gear 80. Gear |02 operates a combined governor and brake mechanism to control the speed and stop the motion of the rotating eccentric weight. The governor comprises a box |04 attached to the frame. Several weights |06 mounted in the box are between the ends of leaf springs |08. Each spring it attached at one end to a collar ||0 pinned to a shaft H2 which is rotated by said gear |02. A sleeve l it is slidable on the shaft |2. Said sleeve has a circular fiange H5 perpendicular to the shaft. The other ends of the leaf springs are attached to the sleeve.

Friction shoes ||8, H9 are held facing the ange in two channels |20 which are pivoted on a rod |22 located below the shoes. Hairpin springs |24 bias the channels in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6. Above the pivot rod the channels are formed into forks |26 which abut controls |28, |30. The hairpin springs thus maintain the fork of each channel against its associated control and bias each shoe toward the flange H6. Control |28 when pushed into the box moves its associated shoe I i8 away from the flange HB. When pulled out, it allows the hairpin spring to rotate the channel so that the portion above the pivot pushes the shoe against the flange H6, The flange rotates with the shaft ||2 because the leaf springs it@ to which said iiange is attached are at their other ends pinned to the shaft as described above; thus, pulling control |28 out stops the whcle mechanism by braking the shaft to which the gear |02 is affixed.

Control |30 has a male threaded extension which screws into a tapped opening |32 in the frame 10. By rotating this control the distance from the second shoe HS to the fiange ||6 is varied. The governor operates as follows: When the shaft ||2 rotates, the weights |06 are urged outwardly by centrifugal force causing the leaf springs to bow. The sleeve HQ and iiange H6 thereby are shifted toward the shoes, the degree of movement being proportional to the rotative speed of the shaft ||2. The shoe ||8 used for braking purposes is beyond the range of movement of the flange when the control |23 is in its on position, but the second shoe, i. e., the speed control shoe H9 is Within said range of movement, and when it is contacted by the ange, the speed of rotation of the governor shaft ||2 is momentarily checked. This allows the bowed springs to partially straighten, the centrifugal force being slightly weaker when the governor shaft slows down. Equilibrium quickly is reached with the speed control shoe lightly dragging on the flange. In this way, the rotative speeds of the shaft, gear trains and off-center weight are adjustably controlled. The farther in the control |30 is screwed, the greater is the distance the flange ||6 must move to contact the speed control shoe I9, and thus the greater will be the speed that is developed.

The spring motor is wound by a manually operable crank which detachably engages a stubactuating shaft |34 extending from the frame 10.

It is apparent that a Ydevice is provided by the present invention as above described which is easily attached to a carriage, will impart a rocking motion thereto and the motive power of which is self-contained. The rate of rocking imparted is controlled by a governor.

It thus will be seen that there has been provided a device which achieves all the objects of the invention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various .possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment rabove set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A device for rocking a perambulator or the like comprising a centrifugal weight, means to mount said weight for rotation about an axis eccentrically Idisposed with respect to the center of gravity of the weight, means to rotate said weight about said axis so as to obtain centrifugal action thereby, and means to detachably hang said mounting means on the edge of a perambulator or the like.

2. A device for rocking a perambulator or the like comprising a centrifugal weight, means to mount said weight for rotation about a horizontal axis eccentrically disposed with respect to the center of gravity of the weight, means to rotate said weight about said axis so as to obtain centrifugal action thereby, means to `counterbalance the dead weight torque created by said eccentric weight, and means to attach said mounting means to a perambulator or the like.

3. A device for rocking a perambulator or the like comprising a centrifugal Weight, means to mount said weight for rotation about an axis eccentrically disposed with respect to the center of gravity of the weight, means to rotate said weight about said axis so as to obtain centrifugal action thereby, adjustable governor means to control the rotative speed of said off-center weight, and means to attach said mounting means to a perambulator or the like.

4. A device for rocking a perambulator or the like comprising a weight, means to mount said weight for rotation about a horizontal axis eccentrically disposed with respect to the center of gravity of the weight, means to rotate said weight, means to counterbalance the dead weight torque of said weight, said means comprising a spring and a linkage to transmit force from said spring to said weight, and means to attach said mounting means to a perambulator or the like.

5, A device for rocking a perambulator or the like comprising a weight, means to mount said weight for rotation about a horizontal axis eccentrically disposed with respect to the center of gravity of the weight, means to rotate said weight, means to counterbalance the dead weight torque of said weight, 4said means comprising a spring and a linkage to transmit force from said spring to said weight, said linkage comprising an eccentric mounted to turn about the same axis as and with said weight, a strap disposed about said eccentric, anti-friction bearings between said eccentric and strap, a bell crank having an arm pivotally attached to said strap, said spring to be mounted to bias the other arm of the bell crank so that said crank exerts an upward force on said eccentric, and means to attach said mounting means to a perambulator or the like. GORDON I-I. STROM. CHARLES LIGHTER. PAUL RUSINCKY.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 55,227 Bedle June 5, 1866 652,896 Johnson et al. July 3, 1900 2,060,833 Smith Nov. 17, 1936 

